| "We don't really want to engage in this sort of activity but we're not going to back down either," Assistant Commissioner Fontana said. "They've [protesters] had more than ample time to make their point in terms of what their protest is about and I think it's time to give the City Square back to the citizens of Melbourne." Greens MP Adam Bandt, the federal member for Melbourne, said calling on the riot police to intervene was a serious error by political leaders. Hundreds of people, including school children, are now lining Swanston and Collins streets watching the drama, with some chanting "the whole world is watching". "People will be arrested," he said, as protesters around him chanted "We are the 99 per cent". Earlier, organisers used loudspeakers to urge the protesters to call everyone they knew to join the protest before the 9am deadline and passed around marker pens to write the mobile phone number of a legal service on their arms in preparation for arrest. Mr Doyle said a fence would be used to try to keep others from joining the protest at the makshift camp, which he said had been taken over by "professional protesters" in recent days. While some protesters packed up their tents in the rain and moved on, most remained steadfast. Passers-by watched the unfolding drama from the neighbouring Starbucks coffee outlet, where they turned chairs outside the front of the store to face the action. However at 8.30am, as yet more police moved in, Starbucks staff began ... |
